Tannadice Park
Encyclopedia
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium
located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish
city
of Dundee
. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C.
and has a capacity of 14,209.
during the 1883–84 season. Both clubs vacated Clepington in 1884; Violet relocated to Fairmuir, while East End had spells at Madeira Park and Pitkero Park before returning to Clepington in 1887. They remained there until moving to Carolina Port
, the most developed ground in Dundee at the time, in 1891. East End would subsequently amalgamate with Dundee Our Boys to form Dundee F.C. in 1893. Clepington Park was subsequently taken over by Johnstone Wanderers, who had begun as an offshoot of Our Boys.
By this time, the surrounding modern street pattern had begun to emerge, with Provost Road, Arklay Street, and Clepington Road all having been laid out. West of Arklay Street remained open land while the east was being developed. By 1890, one of the new streets leading off Arklay Street had been given the name Tannadice Street.
In 1891, Johnstone Wanderers decided to enclose Clepington to enable them to charge for admission. In conjunction, it was decided to utilise the natural slope roughly a hundred yards to the west (below what is now Sandeman Street) in order to provide better views for spectators. As well as enclosing the new pitch, now situated on approximately its modern alignment, the club built a modest grandstand
, a simple uncovered wooden structure with bench seating. It probably housed no more than 500 spectators.
In January 1894 Johnstone Wanderers merged with another local club, Strathmore, to form Dundee Wanderers
. The new combination successfully applied for Scottish Football League
membership and Clepington Park staged its first Scottish League fixture against Motherwell
on 25 August 1894. Wanderers struggled at national level, however, and were not re-elected at the end of the season, dropping down to the Northern League
.
From 1899, Wanderers had to contend with considerable competition for local support with the opening of Dens Park
, the new Dundee F.C.
ground. This was situated almost opposite Clepington, where the extended Tannadice Street met Sandeman Street at an angle. The two grounds are approximately 200 yards apart, which is the shortest distance between two senior football grounds in Britain. Only the grounds of two clubs in Budapest
, MTK and BKV Elore
, are closer together than Dens and Tannadice in the whole of Europe, as their grounds back onto each other.
, a new club representing the city’s Irish community
, who had previously supported Dundee Harp
. As much of the local Irish population was concentrated in the Lochee
district, it was assumed the Hibs would seek to set up home in that area. However, rather than building a new ground from scratch, the new club's secretary Pat Reilly took the controversial step of approaching the landlord of Clepington Park in order to secure a ready-made venue. This was considered even more surprising given that Wanderers, who would initially be expected to become Hibs’ main local rivals, had been settled there for a lengthy period — not to mention that the then leading local club, Dundee, were situated just across the road. The Hibs committee made an offer to the landlords which clearly exceeded what Wanderers were paying; as a result, the established tenants were informed that their lease would not be renewed for the coming season.
The extent of Wanderers’ anger at this development is evident from their decision to effectively dismantle Clepington's fixtures and fittings. The grandstand, changing rooms, fencing and even the goalposts were removed, leaving Hibs with an open field rather than the ready-made ground they had envisaged. Nevertheless, the new club took over the lease, and a decision was taken to emphasise the new era by changing the name of the ground, Tannadice Park being adopted from the name of the street on which the ground's main entrance would be situated.
Hibs' first priority, therefore, was to re-equip Tannadice for the new season and a new grandstand and fencing were soon provided. A cricket
-style pavilion
housing dressing rooms was constructed in the south east corner of the ground, where the players’ tunnel is today; this survived until 1961. An indication of the rapid development of the new Tannadice is contained in a report from the city’s Evening Telegraph newspaper, 21 July 1909:
‘The pavilion is a splendid two-storey structure built of brick, containing two large dressing-rooms, two committee rooms, press box and referee’s room. The pavilion will be lit by electricity. The stand on the road side will be the whole length of the field and will seat about 1,000 people.’
on 18 August 1909, in front of a crowd of 7,000. The original capacity of Tannadice Park was around 10,000, the terracings were specially extended and additional temporary seating erected for a Qualifying Cup-tie against Forfar Athletic
in 1913; all of this was necessary to allow a record crowd to be accommodated, and the reported attendance was 15,000.
Dundee Hibs was renamed Dundee United in 1923, after a consortium had taken over the club and obtained re-election to the Scottish Football League
. No improvements to the ground were made until Dundee United won promotion to Division One for the first time in 1925. The Scottish League Management Committee informed the club that Tannadice would be subject to an inspection during the close season to ensure that it was up to the standard required for the higher level, and this clearly concentrated the directors’ minds. Since 1909, Tannadice had been leased, but the board now decided to buy the ground, paying £2,500. Extensive renovations were then begun, the first to the pitch. There was a steep upwards slope towards the corner where the George Fox and East Stands now meet, and this necessitated solid rock being blasted to enable it to be levelled. There is still a slope of approximately 2 metres from north-west to south-east today. For the first time, proper terracings were constructed, while the pavilion was given a facelift and new turnstiles
were built.
The various financial crises which beset the club in the 1930s and its general lack of success on the pitch prevented any further ground improvements until 1953. At that time, the north terracing was concreted and four years later the same was done at both ends. During the close season of 1957, an important development took place with the construction of the Shed, which was opened in September of that year.
roof to provide column-free viewing for spectators. It was intended at the time that the whole ground would be re-built in a similar manner, but due to lack of finance no further building took place. This meant that the stand, which had a very tight spacing between the rows of seats, is an unusual L-shape around the south-eastern corner of the ground. The stand was also the first in Scotland to have a glass fronted lounge for the benefit of sponsors. This was opened in 1971 and overlooked the pitch, something that is now a common sight in football grounds across the country.
Much of the rebuilding that took place in the 1950s and 1960s was financed by an innovation by then manager Jerry Kerr
who had been greatly taken by the success of Warwickshire County Cricket Club
in raising money for the rebuilding of Edgbaston
through the medium of a football pool. Kerr set up Taypools, which, for about a decade, brought money into the club that helped finance redevelopment of the West ("The Shed") and North stands as well as the Jerry Kerr Stand. Floodlights were installed in 1962 and used for the first time on 10 November, in a league match against Rangers
.
The stadium celebrated its centenary in 1983 - the year
that Dundee United won their first and to date only league title. Under-soil heating
was installed during the close season of 1985 at a reported cost of £100,000, United were the fourth Scottish club to have the facility, following Queen's Park
, Rangers
and Hibernian
. The undersoil heating was first used for the UEFA Cup
tie against Neuchâtel Xamax
on 27 November 1985.
on football ground safety, which was published in January 1990, Tannadice had a capacity of 22,310, but only 2,252 seats (all in the 1962 Main Stand). For a period in 1990, Dundee United considering sharing a new stadium with Dundee
, but decided to redevelop Tannadice in 1991. Many modifications were made at Tannadice in order to bring the stadium up to modern standards. Two new grandstands were constructed in the early nineties. The two tiered George Fox stand, was built in 1992 and is named after a former chairman of the club. The East Stand, a similar two tiered construction was built in 1994, and was renamed the Eddie Thompson stand in 2008. The latest stand to be constructed was the Fair Play stand in 1997. This stand form an extension to the Jerry Kerr stand along one side of the pitch, and now houses away fans on match day. Tangerine plastic seating was installed in the East Stand at the same time, with black seats spelling out 'DUFC,' the colloquial name for the East Stand, this development made Tannadice an all seater stadium. Several lesser modifications have taken place since the turn of the century, namely to allow participation in European competition. In 2009, the traditional flood lights were removed and replaced with a brighter roof mounted lighting system, and in 2010 the original wooden seats in the Jerry Kerr stand were removed and replaced with tangerine plastic seating.
The Jerry Kerr Stand: Originally built in 1962, it was the first cantilever
ed stand at a football ground in Scotland and only the third in the UK (after Sheffield Wednesday
and Scunthorpe
). Particularly notable for its unusual L-shaped construction, the stand runs from the halfway line on the south (Tannadice Street) side of the pitch, bending around the ground's south east corner, to end slightly along the east goal-line. The only seated accommodation at the ground prior to the post-Taylor Report
redevelopment, it was known simply as the Main Stand until 2003, when it was renamed in honour of Jerry Kerr
, the manager who had overseen its construction. The development of other parts of Tannadice has meant that this stand is now normally reserved for away supporters.
The Jim McLean Fair Play Stand: The most recent addition to the stadium, opened in 1997. Although separately named, it is effectively an extension of the old Main Stand to cover the entirety of the ground's south side. The name derives from the Fair Play Enclosure, a small enclosed terrace which previously occupied this corner of Tannadice, and itself named for the award given to United and their fans by FIFA
following the club's run to the 1987 UEFA Cup Final
. This stand is also reserved for visiting supporters. It was renamed after the club's most successful manager Jim McLean
in 2011.
The West Stand: Invariably referred to by its historic nickname, The Shed, it retains its original roof construction dating from 1957; between then and 1980, it was the only covered standing area at Tannadice, therefore becoming the most popular and atmospheric part of the ground. Since 1994, seats have been installed on the original terracing, parts of which are still visible at the corners. With season ticket holders now accommodated in the more modern parts of the stadium, the Shed can be allocated to either home or away supporters as demand dictates.
The George Fox Stand: Named after a long serving club director, this two-tier stand was built in 1991–92 along the north side of the ground and was the first phase in the conversion of Tannadice to meet all-seater requirements. It is allocated to home supporters.
The Eddie Thompson Stand: Opened in 1994 as the East Stand, and with a similar design to the adjacent George Fox Stand, it also has two tiers of seating. The East Stand now houses the loudest and most passionate elements of the United support, whereas George Fox patrons have the reputation of being somewhat more restrained in their behaviour. As such, this end of Tannadice is the spiritual heir of the old "Shed". In March 2008, the stand was renamed after the then terminally ill club chairman, Eddie Thompson
.
ties, but the following figures as reported in the media give a guide to the progressive record attendance figures at Tannadice down the years.
Dundee Hibs' first match at Tannadice, a friendly against Hibernian
of Edinburgh on 18 August 1909, was watched by a crowd of 7,000. This would appear to be in excess of any crowd to watch a league fixture at the ground prior to the First World War. Cup ties tended to attract higher attendances in this era, and after the terraces were specially extended to accommodate the expected large crowd, 15,000 watched a Scottish Qualifying Cup
tie against Forfar Athletic
on 1 November 1913.
Promotion to the top flight in 1925 would see further ground improvements and two new records set, firstly when 20,000 were estimated to have watched Celtic's
visit on 19 September 1925. Then a much larger than anticipated crowd of 23,517 packed in to watch an important late season Tayside derby
against St. Johnstone on 17 April 1926, with both clubs fighting relegation.
The largest crowd to have watched a League fixture at Tannadice was 25,000 in the derby against Dundee
on 3 January 1927. This remained the overall record until 23 February 1952, when 26,407 saw a Scottish Cup
tie against Aberdeen
, the all-time record for any domestic fixture on the ground.
As of 2009, the official record attendance at Tannadice remains the 28,000 who watched the club's home European debut, an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
match against FC Barcelona
on 16 November 1966. Since then, in common with many other grounds, safety legislation and conversion to all-seating has drastically reduced Tannadice's capacity, with the modern stadium holding little over half that number. As a result, it looks unlikely that these records will be challenged in the future.
when it came to the city in 1928. Meetings were held regularly on Saturdays and Wednesdays during the summer. Despite reasonable crowds the layout of the venue was not particularly suited to racing and in later years Dens Park would become Dundee's regular greyhound venue.
On 1 January 1941, during a season when Dundee United were inactive due to the Second World War, a boxing
match was staged at Tannadice. Local boxer Jim Brady defeated Kid Tanner of British Guiana
to win the British Empire bantamweight title in front of 3,500 spectators.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
and has a capacity of 14,209.
Early days (1883–1909)
The ground that is now Tannadice was first used for football in the 1870s, when the surrounding area of Dundee was still largely open countryside. The area that is now the allotments between Tannadice and Arklay Street became the home ground of a local club called Dundee East End in 1883; they gave it the name Clepington Park. Clepington was also used by newly-formed junior club Dundee VioletDundee Violet F.C.
Dundee Violet F.C. are a Scottish football club based in the city of Dundee. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they currently play in the East Region North Division...
during the 1883–84 season. Both clubs vacated Clepington in 1884; Violet relocated to Fairmuir, while East End had spells at Madeira Park and Pitkero Park before returning to Clepington in 1887. They remained there until moving to Carolina Port
Carolina Port
Carolina Port was a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland. The sport's first major venue in the city, it was an early home of Dundee F.C. and staged Dundee's first international match in 1896.-History:...
, the most developed ground in Dundee at the time, in 1891. East End would subsequently amalgamate with Dundee Our Boys to form Dundee F.C. in 1893. Clepington Park was subsequently taken over by Johnstone Wanderers, who had begun as an offshoot of Our Boys.
By this time, the surrounding modern street pattern had begun to emerge, with Provost Road, Arklay Street, and Clepington Road all having been laid out. West of Arklay Street remained open land while the east was being developed. By 1890, one of the new streets leading off Arklay Street had been given the name Tannadice Street.
In 1891, Johnstone Wanderers decided to enclose Clepington to enable them to charge for admission. In conjunction, it was decided to utilise the natural slope roughly a hundred yards to the west (below what is now Sandeman Street) in order to provide better views for spectators. As well as enclosing the new pitch, now situated on approximately its modern alignment, the club built a modest grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
, a simple uncovered wooden structure with bench seating. It probably housed no more than 500 spectators.
In January 1894 Johnstone Wanderers merged with another local club, Strathmore, to form Dundee Wanderers
Dundee Wanderers F.C.
Dundee Wanderers were a Scottish football club based in Dundee. The club were briefly members of the Scottish Football League Second Division. Their home ground was Clepington Park ....
. The new combination successfully applied for Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
membership and Clepington Park staged its first Scottish League fixture against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on 25 August 1894. Wanderers struggled at national level, however, and were not re-elected at the end of the season, dropping down to the Northern League
Northern Football League (Scotland)
The Northern League was a regional Scottish football competition held between 1891 and 1920.In 1908–09, six clubs left to form the Central Football League and the league shut down for the First World War, returning for a final season in 1919–20....
.
From 1899, Wanderers had to contend with considerable competition for local support with the opening of Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
, the new Dundee F.C.
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
ground. This was situated almost opposite Clepington, where the extended Tannadice Street met Sandeman Street at an angle. The two grounds are approximately 200 yards apart, which is the shortest distance between two senior football grounds in Britain. Only the grounds of two clubs in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, MTK and BKV Elore
BKV Előre SC
BKV Előre SC is an Hungarian football club located in Budapest, Hungary. It currently plays in Hungarian National Championship II. The team's colors are yellow and blue.- Current squad :As of 6 September 2011, according to the club's ....
, are closer together than Dens and Tannadice in the whole of Europe, as their grounds back onto each other.
New owners (1909)
1909 saw the formation of Dundee HibernianDundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
, a new club representing the city’s Irish community
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, who had previously supported Dundee Harp
Dundee Harp F.C.
Dundee Harp F.C. are a defunct Scottish football club that were based in the city of Dundee. Founded in 1879, the team went out of business in 1897.-History:...
. As much of the local Irish population was concentrated in the Lochee
Lochee
Lochee is an area in the west of Dundee, Scotland. Until the 19th century, it was a separate town, but was eventually surrounded by the expanding Dundee...
district, it was assumed the Hibs would seek to set up home in that area. However, rather than building a new ground from scratch, the new club's secretary Pat Reilly took the controversial step of approaching the landlord of Clepington Park in order to secure a ready-made venue. This was considered even more surprising given that Wanderers, who would initially be expected to become Hibs’ main local rivals, had been settled there for a lengthy period — not to mention that the then leading local club, Dundee, were situated just across the road. The Hibs committee made an offer to the landlords which clearly exceeded what Wanderers were paying; as a result, the established tenants were informed that their lease would not be renewed for the coming season.
The extent of Wanderers’ anger at this development is evident from their decision to effectively dismantle Clepington's fixtures and fittings. The grandstand, changing rooms, fencing and even the goalposts were removed, leaving Hibs with an open field rather than the ready-made ground they had envisaged. Nevertheless, the new club took over the lease, and a decision was taken to emphasise the new era by changing the name of the ground, Tannadice Park being adopted from the name of the street on which the ground's main entrance would be situated.
Hibs' first priority, therefore, was to re-equip Tannadice for the new season and a new grandstand and fencing were soon provided. A cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
-style pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
housing dressing rooms was constructed in the south east corner of the ground, where the players’ tunnel is today; this survived until 1961. An indication of the rapid development of the new Tannadice is contained in a report from the city’s Evening Telegraph newspaper, 21 July 1909:
‘The pavilion is a splendid two-storey structure built of brick, containing two large dressing-rooms, two committee rooms, press box and referee’s room. The pavilion will be lit by electricity. The stand on the road side will be the whole length of the field and will seat about 1,000 people.’
Hibs and United (1909–1959)
The club's and the ground's inaugural match was against (Edinburgh) HibernianHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
on 18 August 1909, in front of a crowd of 7,000. The original capacity of Tannadice Park was around 10,000, the terracings were specially extended and additional temporary seating erected for a Qualifying Cup-tie against Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic F.C.
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Second Division...
in 1913; all of this was necessary to allow a record crowd to be accommodated, and the reported attendance was 15,000.
Dundee Hibs was renamed Dundee United in 1923, after a consortium had taken over the club and obtained re-election to the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
. No improvements to the ground were made until Dundee United won promotion to Division One for the first time in 1925. The Scottish League Management Committee informed the club that Tannadice would be subject to an inspection during the close season to ensure that it was up to the standard required for the higher level, and this clearly concentrated the directors’ minds. Since 1909, Tannadice had been leased, but the board now decided to buy the ground, paying £2,500. Extensive renovations were then begun, the first to the pitch. There was a steep upwards slope towards the corner where the George Fox and East Stands now meet, and this necessitated solid rock being blasted to enable it to be levelled. There is still a slope of approximately 2 metres from north-west to south-east today. For the first time, proper terracings were constructed, while the pavilion was given a facelift and new turnstiles
Turnstiles
Turnstiles was the fourth album by Billy Joel, released in 1976. In part, the album was made to celebrate Joel's return to New York City after his sojourn in California. Three of the album's tracks reference New York: "Summer, Highland Falls", "New York State of Mind" and "Miami 2017 "...
were built.
The various financial crises which beset the club in the 1930s and its general lack of success on the pitch prevented any further ground improvements until 1953. At that time, the north terracing was concreted and four years later the same was done at both ends. During the close season of 1957, an important development took place with the construction of the Shed, which was opened in September of that year.
The Kerr and McLean eras (1959–1992)
The new Main Stand, opened in August 1962, was the first in Scotland to be constructed with a cantileverCantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
roof to provide column-free viewing for spectators. It was intended at the time that the whole ground would be re-built in a similar manner, but due to lack of finance no further building took place. This meant that the stand, which had a very tight spacing between the rows of seats, is an unusual L-shape around the south-eastern corner of the ground. The stand was also the first in Scotland to have a glass fronted lounge for the benefit of sponsors. This was opened in 1971 and overlooked the pitch, something that is now a common sight in football grounds across the country.
Much of the rebuilding that took place in the 1950s and 1960s was financed by an innovation by then manager Jerry Kerr
Jerry Kerr
Jasper Jerald 'Jerry' Kerr was a Scottish football player and manager, best known as manager of Dundee United from 1959 to 1971...
who had been greatly taken by the success of Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in raising money for the rebuilding of Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
through the medium of a football pool. Kerr set up Taypools, which, for about a decade, brought money into the club that helped finance redevelopment of the West ("The Shed") and North stands as well as the Jerry Kerr Stand. Floodlights were installed in 1962 and used for the first time on 10 November, in a league match against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
.
The stadium celebrated its centenary in 1983 - the year
1982-83 in Scottish football
The 1982–83 season was the 86th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:In a tightly fought contest Dundee United win their first and only title this season. The league remains undecided until the last day of the season with Aberdeen, Celtic and Dundee United in contention...
that Dundee United won their first and to date only league title. Under-soil heating
Under-soil heating
Under-soil heating is a method used in various sports stadia which heats the underside of the pitch to avoid any bad weather, such as snow and ice, from building up and ultimately helps the club avoid having to postpone any matches.The first ground in England to have under-soil heating installed...
was installed during the close season of 1985 at a reported cost of £100,000, United were the fourth Scottish club to have the facility, following Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
. The undersoil heating was first used for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie against Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
on 27 November 1985.
Modern Tannadice (1992–present)
At the time of the Taylor ReportTaylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
on football ground safety, which was published in January 1990, Tannadice had a capacity of 22,310, but only 2,252 seats (all in the 1962 Main Stand). For a period in 1990, Dundee United considering sharing a new stadium with Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
, but decided to redevelop Tannadice in 1991. Many modifications were made at Tannadice in order to bring the stadium up to modern standards. Two new grandstands were constructed in the early nineties. The two tiered George Fox stand, was built in 1992 and is named after a former chairman of the club. The East Stand, a similar two tiered construction was built in 1994, and was renamed the Eddie Thompson stand in 2008. The latest stand to be constructed was the Fair Play stand in 1997. This stand form an extension to the Jerry Kerr stand along one side of the pitch, and now houses away fans on match day. Tangerine plastic seating was installed in the East Stand at the same time, with black seats spelling out 'DUFC,' the colloquial name for the East Stand, this development made Tannadice an all seater stadium. Several lesser modifications have taken place since the turn of the century, namely to allow participation in European competition. In 2009, the traditional flood lights were removed and replaced with a brighter roof mounted lighting system, and in 2010 the original wooden seats in the Jerry Kerr stand were removed and replaced with tangerine plastic seating.
Stadium layout
Tannadice is an all-seater stadium and has been so since 1994. The various stands are as follows:The Jerry Kerr Stand: Originally built in 1962, it was the first cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed stand at a football ground in Scotland and only the third in the UK (after Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
). Particularly notable for its unusual L-shaped construction, the stand runs from the halfway line on the south (Tannadice Street) side of the pitch, bending around the ground's south east corner, to end slightly along the east goal-line. The only seated accommodation at the ground prior to the post-Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
redevelopment, it was known simply as the Main Stand until 2003, when it was renamed in honour of Jerry Kerr
Jerry Kerr
Jasper Jerald 'Jerry' Kerr was a Scottish football player and manager, best known as manager of Dundee United from 1959 to 1971...
, the manager who had overseen its construction. The development of other parts of Tannadice has meant that this stand is now normally reserved for away supporters.
The Jim McLean Fair Play Stand: The most recent addition to the stadium, opened in 1997. Although separately named, it is effectively an extension of the old Main Stand to cover the entirety of the ground's south side. The name derives from the Fair Play Enclosure, a small enclosed terrace which previously occupied this corner of Tannadice, and itself named for the award given to United and their fans by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
following the club's run to the 1987 UEFA Cup Final
1987 UEFA Cup Final
The 1987 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 6 May 1987 between IFK Göteborg of Sweden and Dundee United F.C. of Scotland. Göteborg won 2–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:**...
. This stand is also reserved for visiting supporters. It was renamed after the club's most successful manager Jim McLean
Jim McLean
James Yuill McLean is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best known for his 22-year spell as manager of Dundee United; the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, he led them to three major honours and established them as a force in European competitions...
in 2011.
The West Stand: Invariably referred to by its historic nickname, The Shed, it retains its original roof construction dating from 1957; between then and 1980, it was the only covered standing area at Tannadice, therefore becoming the most popular and atmospheric part of the ground. Since 1994, seats have been installed on the original terracing, parts of which are still visible at the corners. With season ticket holders now accommodated in the more modern parts of the stadium, the Shed can be allocated to either home or away supporters as demand dictates.
The George Fox Stand: Named after a long serving club director, this two-tier stand was built in 1991–92 along the north side of the ground and was the first phase in the conversion of Tannadice to meet all-seater requirements. It is allocated to home supporters.
The Eddie Thompson Stand: Opened in 1994 as the East Stand, and with a similar design to the adjacent George Fox Stand, it also has two tiers of seating. The East Stand now houses the loudest and most passionate elements of the United support, whereas George Fox patrons have the reputation of being somewhat more restrained in their behaviour. As such, this end of Tannadice is the spiritual heir of the old "Shed". In March 2008, the stand was renamed after the then terminally ill club chairman, Eddie Thompson
Eddie Thompson
Edward Henry "Eddie" Thompson, OBE was a Scottish businessman, he was the chairman of Scottish football club Dundee United and a well known figure in the Scottish retail industry....
.
Attendance records
Official attendance figures are largely unavailable in Scottish football prior to the 1980s, other than for Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
ties, but the following figures as reported in the media give a guide to the progressive record attendance figures at Tannadice down the years.
Dundee Hibs' first match at Tannadice, a friendly against Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
of Edinburgh on 18 August 1909, was watched by a crowd of 7,000. This would appear to be in excess of any crowd to watch a league fixture at the ground prior to the First World War. Cup ties tended to attract higher attendances in this era, and after the terraces were specially extended to accommodate the expected large crowd, 15,000 watched a Scottish Qualifying Cup
Scottish Qualifying Cup
The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup...
tie against Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic F.C.
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Second Division...
on 1 November 1913.
Promotion to the top flight in 1925 would see further ground improvements and two new records set, firstly when 20,000 were estimated to have watched Celtic's
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
visit on 19 September 1925. Then a much larger than anticipated crowd of 23,517 packed in to watch an important late season Tayside derby
Tayside derby
The Tayside Derby is a football rivalry that is based in Tayside, Scotland The matches are contested by two of the three biggest teams from this region: Dundee United, Dundee and St. Johnstone. Matches between Dundee and Dundee United is also referred to as a Dundee derby.-Dundee United vs...
against St. Johnstone on 17 April 1926, with both clubs fighting relegation.
The largest crowd to have watched a League fixture at Tannadice was 25,000 in the derby against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
on 3 January 1927. This remained the overall record until 23 February 1952, when 26,407 saw a Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tie against Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, the all-time record for any domestic fixture on the ground.
As of 2009, the official record attendance at Tannadice remains the 28,000 who watched the club's home European debut, an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
match against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on 16 November 1966. Since then, in common with many other grounds, safety legislation and conversion to all-seating has drastically reduced Tannadice's capacity, with the modern stadium holding little over half that number. As a result, it looks unlikely that these records will be challenged in the future.
Other sports
Tannadice was the first venue in Dundee to stage greyhound racingGreyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
when it came to the city in 1928. Meetings were held regularly on Saturdays and Wednesdays during the summer. Despite reasonable crowds the layout of the venue was not particularly suited to racing and in later years Dens Park would become Dundee's regular greyhound venue.
On 1 January 1941, during a season when Dundee United were inactive due to the Second World War, a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match was staged at Tannadice. Local boxer Jim Brady defeated Kid Tanner of British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
to win the British Empire bantamweight title in front of 3,500 spectators.